Collapsible box



July 9, 1929. c A REESE 1,720,146

COLLAPS IBLE BOX Filed Nov. 22, 1926 ,Ifg.4. 6 BY awamuy A TTORNEY Patented July 9, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE A. REESE, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE/FIBER SPECIALTY COMPANY, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, A CORPORATION OF MARYLAND.

COLLAPSIBLE BOX.

Application filed November 22, 1926. Serial No. 149,874.

This invention relates toimprovcments in collapsible cardboard boxes and is directed to a box having an equal number of angular sides in distinction to the well-known cylindrical box.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved construction of box wherein the bottom, which folds inwardly on a median crease line when the structure is collapsed, will, when in the extended or set-up condition, be secured against such inward-folding on opposite sides of the said median creaseline whereby to increase the rigidity of said bottom when the box is set up or in use.

Another object is to provide a construction of collapsible box wherein the side walls will be more rigid, and will be stayed and secured in such a way tothe bottom as to prevent the said side walls from moving outwardly at opposite ends of the median crease-line of the bottom when the box is set-up, but empty.

With these and other objects in View, the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein,

Fig. 1 shows the improved box in perspective,-the cover being removed and a portion of one of the angular sides being broken away to better illustrate the interior.

Fig. 2 illustrates the set-up box in bottom view. f

Fig. 3 shows a cross-sectional detail through the box and its cover as the same would appear if viewed on the line 3-3' of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 illustrates a sectional elevation through the box while the latter is in a partially-collapsed condition.

In the drawing the numerals 56 and 7 designate two opposite side walls and the bottom respectively. These three elements are permanently attached to each other but in the angle 8, between the wall 5 and the bottom 7, the connection between the two is such as to permit them to hinge or swing with respect to the other. A similar hinge or fold connection is formed in the angle 9 between said bottom and the wall 6.

In the present instance the two side walls 5 and 6 have inturned bottom flanges 10, which turn under the bottom 7 and are permanently cemented thereto.

The box-body in this instance also has two adjacent side-walls 11 and 12 and two opposite and adjacent side walls 13 and 14.

It is to be understood therefore, that angles are formed on the vertical lines which sepfirate one wall from the next adjacent wa At the angle 15, between the walls 11 and 12 the material of the box is so creased as to form a hinge-joint and at the angle 16 between the walls 13 and 14 a similar hingecrease is produced. These creases at the angles 15-16 are such as to facilitate the inward movement of the walls 11 and 12 and the walls 13 and 14 toward each other when the box is to be collapsed.

The upper edge of each of the walls is provided with an inwardly down-turned flange 17 which flanges materially reinforce the walls in a direction between the angles or corners and maintain those upper edges of the wall in a straight condition and prevent them from inward or outward bulging when the cover is removed.

The adjacent walls 11 and 12 carry a bottom flap 18 which flap extends laterall and inwardly beneath the bottom 7 and horizontal cross-wise straight edge 19, which edge, when the box is set-up, has position in a vertical plane that intersects the opposite vertical walls 5 and 6.

In a similar manner the adjacent walls 13 and 14 also carry a bottom flap 20 which latter also extends inwardly and horizontally beneath the bottom 7, and this flap 20 has a straight crosswise edge 21 which lies in a vertical plane that will intersect the same Vertical opposite side walls 5 and 6.

These flaps 18 and 20 are so attached to the lower edges of the side walls 1112 and 1314 that the will hinge or swing upwardly at the angl es 22 and 23.

To permit this upward-swinging of said flaps 18 and 20 the flap 18 has a crease 24 therein which crease extends from the wall angle 15 to the inner straight-edge 19 of the flap, and the flap 20 has a similar crease 25 that extends from'the wall angle 16 to the inner straight-edge 21.

- By reference to Fig. 1 of the drawing it will be noted that the bottom 7 of the box fits snugly within all of the vertical walls of the box and therefore overlaps the two side flaps l8 and 20, but it should be understood that the edges of the bottom are free and disconnected from the side walls 11 and 12 at the one side and are also free and disconnected from the side walls 13 and 14 at the opposite side.

The bottom 7 is provided with a crosswise crease 26 which crease extends diagonally across said bottom between the vertical wall creases-15 and 16 and therefore this bottom crease alines with and in fact overlies the creases 24; and 25 in the opposite side flaps 18 and 20. This bottom crease 26 is so formed as to permit the bottom to be folded upwardly between the vertical walls.

By reference to Fig. 3, of the drawing, it will be noted that the side walls 11 and 12 are attached to the flap 18 by means of bottom-flanges 27 on said walls which underlap said flapand are permanently cemented thereto and it will also be noted that the adjacent ends of the two flanges are mitred but spaced at 28 so that said attachingflanges 27, will not interfere with or underlie the extreme outer end of the flap-crease 24.

In the same manner the side walls 13 and 14 are attached to the flap 20 by means of bottom-flanges 29 on the said walls underlapping and being cemented to said latter flap and these two bottom flanges 29 have spaced mitred ends 30 which leave the flapcrease 25 free for inward operation.

By reference to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing it will be seen that from the one-piece bottom 7 there are punched two fastening hook-tongues 31 and 32 respectively.

The hook-tongue 31, it will be noted, is punched from the bottom and has position at one side of the diagonal crease-line 26 while the hook-tongue 32 is also punched from the bottom and has position at the opposite side of the diagonal crease-line 26.

The tongue 31 passes through a slot 33, that is provided in the flap 18 at one side of the flap-crease 24, while the tongue 32, passes through a, slot 34 that is provided in the flap 20 and at an opposite side of the flap-crease 25. Thus it:will be seen that the slot 33 in one flap is located at one side of the creases 2426 while the slot 34 in the other flap is located at the opposite side of the creases 2526.

Therefore, neither of the tongues 31 or 32 or the slots 33 or 34; are intersected by any of the creases 2425 or 26 on which the folding of the flaps and the bottom takes place for if either of those tongues or slots were intersected by the creases, or either of them, such intersection would cause a weakness in the tongues or slots that would materially interfere with the proper lockingepgagement between said tongues and flaps ots.

When the hook-tongues of the bottom are passed through and hooked in the slots of the flaps,-the one onone side of the crease lines and the other on the. opposite side of said crease lines, the bottom will be held down on the flaps and collapsing of the walls 11-12 or 1314 will be prevented because neither of the flaps can move laterally.

It will further be noted that neither of the hook-tongues is formed on the edge of any part of the bottom or flaps but both are punched from the bottom at points well separated or spaced from any bottom-edge with the result that the bottom is out without waste of material and the tongues are much more durable and far better protected from damage during storage.

To collapse the box it is only necessary to release the two tongues from the slots and then push the bottom and flaps upwardly within the walls whereupon the walls will fold together on the fold or creased edges or corners 15 and 16.

In practice the cover 35, is shaped to fit the walls and is creased on a diagonal line in order that it may be folded and placed in the collapsed box.

Having described my invention, I claim A collapsible box having'an equal number of opposed sides and also having a bottom with the same number of edges as there are sides, two opposite edges of the botlom being hingedly connected to two opposite sides of the box and the remaining edges of the bottom being free from the remaining sides,-the bottom of the box having a fold ing crease all the way across the same, the lower free edges of those sides of the box which are disconnected from the bottom each having an underturned bottom flange, a onepiece flap attached to the two adjacent bottom flanges at one side of the box, another one-piece flap attached to the two adjacent bottom flanges at the opposite side of the box said two flaps extending inwardly beneath the bottom of the box and each of said one-piece flaps being creased to fold upwardly between the side walls, means on the bottom and at one side of the said crosswise bottom folding-crease for detachably engaging one of the said flaps, and means also on the bottom but at the opposite side of said crosswise bottom folding-crease for detachably engaging the other of said hinged flaps.

In testimony whereof he affixes his signature.

CLARENCE A. REESE. 

